Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Hu Jintao, stressed the importance of the rule of law in government on Monday in Beijing.

Hu told a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee that governance in a scientific and democratic way and in accordance with the law would significantly strengthen the administrative capability and the progressive nature of the Party.

Under the leadership of the Party, the rule of law should let the people be the masters of the country, Hu said. The Party should consistently reform and improve its governance and serve the people, while demonstrating, developing and maintaining its vanguard character.

Hu said the Party came to realize the importance of the rule of law by deepening its knowledge of its own administration and summarizing its long-term practice and experience.

Adherence to the rule of law showed the Party clearly perceived its historic role and task in building a socialist society with Chinese characteristics.

To rule in a scientific way is a premise to the success of the Party, Hu said. Under the instruction of the scientific theory of Marxism, the Party should consistently study and observe the rules of communist parties' ruling, construction of socialist countries and social development of human beings.

Hu stressed that the Party should lead the Chinese people to build a socialist country with Chinese characteristics, by developing scientific thoughts and working mechanism. The Party should also draw and implement its policies and principles in a scientific way.

The Party shoulders the task of governing and rejuvenating the country, Hu said. To achieve this goal, the Party should lead the people to construct the country in a scientific way, and endeavor to realize and protect the fundamental interests of the people.

Policy making should be proceeded in a scientific way and welcome more public opinions, so that policies could be objective and conform with people's wish.

Hu said the rule in a democratic way is a demand by the nature of the Marxist Party in power, which is to serve the people and rely on the people. The Party should push forward the democratic governance by establishing a democratic mechanism and a set of standards and procedure that ensure people be the masters of the country.

The Party is built for the public and it exercises state power for the people, and all its work should focus on and serve for the fundamental interests of the people, Hu said. The government must function by the mandate of the people, empathize with the feelings of the people, and work for the well-being of the people.

He pointed out that China should further improve its democratic system, to ensure that people to actively and innovatively participate in selection, policy-making, administration and supervision.

Democracy within the Party should also be improved to strengthen supervision over the use of power, and ensure that power given by the people was used for the people, Hu stressed.

Rule of law is a fundamental ruling method of the Party under the current situation, Hu said. The Party should govern and construct the country according to law, lead the people to make rules and set good examples for obeying rules. Only when the whole society realizes the rule of law, can the people effectively construct their country under the leadership of the Party.

The Party's role in leading the process of legislation should be promoted, so that implementation of the Party's guidelines and policies can be guaranteed by the law, Hu said.

All Party members should abide by the constitution and laws, Hu said, adding more support should be given to relevant government administrations to safeguard citizen's interests.

Hu called on Party organizations at all levels to stick to the scientific and democratic way of ruling in accordance with law, while making efforts to enhance the Party's administrative capability and the progressive nature.

At the meeting, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee listened to the lecture on rule of law given by scholars with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2006)